Model Year | 2014 | 2022 | |
Model | Volkswagen Beetle | Toyota Highlander | |
Engine | turbocharged 2.0L I4 DOHC-4v 210 hp@5300 207 lb-ft@1700 |
3.5L V6 DOHC-4v 295 hp@6600 263 lb-ft@4700 |
|
Transmission | 6-speed automated manual | 8-speed shiftable automatic | |
Drivetrain | FWD | FWD | |
Body | 2dr Hatch | 4dr SUV | |
Difference | |||
Wheelbase | 100.0 in | 112.2 in | -12.2 in |
Length | 168.4 in | 194.9 in | -26.5 in |
Width | 71.2 in | 76.0 in | -4.8 in |
Height | 58.5 in | 68.1 in | -9.6 in |
Curb Weight | 3104 lb. | 4145 lb. | -1041 lb. |
Fuel Capacity | 14.5 gal. | 17.9 gal. | -3.4 gal. |
Headroom, Row 1 | 39.4 in | 41.2 in | -1.8 in |
Shoulder Room, Row 1 | 55.3 in | 59.0 in | -3.7 in |
Hip Room, Row 1 | 0.0 in | 57.2 in | -57.2 in |
Legroom, Row 1 | 41.3 in | 42.0 in | -0.7 in |
Headroom, Row 2 | 37.1 in | 39.4 in | -2.3 in |
Shoulder Room, Row 2 | 49.0 in | 58.7 in | -9.7 in |
Hip Room, Row 2 | 0.0 in | 57.0 in | -57 in |
Legroom, Row 2 | 31.4 in | 41.0 in | -9.6 in |
Headroom, Row 3 | 0.0 in | 36.1 in | -36.1 in |
Shoulder Room, Row 3 | 0.0 in | 55.0 in | -55 in |
Hip Room, Row 3 | 0.0 in | 45.6 in | -45.6 in |
Legroom, Row 3 | 0.0 in | 27.7 in | -27.7 in |
Total Legroom | 72.7 in (over 2 rows) | 110.7 in (over 3 rows) | -38 in |
Cargo Volume, Minimum | 15.4 ft3 | 16.0 ft3 | -0.6 ft3 |
Cargo Volume, Behind R2 | 15.4 | 48.4 ft3 | -33 |
Cargo Volume, Maximum | 29.9 ft3 | 84.3 ft3 | -54.4 ft3 |
2014 Volkswagen Beetle Seat Room and Comfort: Cons | ||
Year | Comment | |
Back in the 1960s VW entreated Americans to "think small." Lately, though, the German manufacturers cars have been getting bigger and bigger. The latest redesign added over two inches to the car's length (now 168 inches) and over two inches to its width (now a midsize-like 71.2 inches. Compared to the 146-by-66-inch, 2,822-pound Mini and the 140-by-64-inch, 2,434-pound Fiat, the 3,340-pound Beetle TDI convertible is a big, heavy car. As noted earlier, solidity and ride quality benefit from this additional bulk. But rear seat room does not. Sure, the Beetle Convertible's rear seat is more viable than the MINI's, but bars to clear rarely come lower. The Fiat is in the same (adults-in-a-pinch) ballpark. In addition to the space shortage, the VW's rear seat back is uncomfortably upright. see full Volkswagen Beetle review |
2014 Volkswagen Beetle Seat Room and Comfort: Cons | ||
Year | Body/Powertrain | Comment |
2013 | 2dr Convertible 170-horsepower 2.5L I5 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD |
The back seat, if you could really call it that, leaves a lot to be desired. Maybe another 3 in. That being said it fits a car seat with my 6' frame in the front seat ahead of it, so it gets the job done. Once the top goes down the interior space seems adequate. see full Volkswagen Beetle review |
2022 Toyota Highlander Seat Room and Comfort: Cons | ||
Year | Comment | |
With each redesign (for 2008, 2014, and 2020) Toyota has enlarged the Highlander, yet the crossover's third-row seat remains uncomforably low and tight. For adults to be even passably comfortable in the way-back the second row must be slid forward, rendering legroom there also marginal. Some three-row crossovers have much roomier and more comfortable third-row seats. But if you want to be able to squeeze in eight people, Highlanders with a second-row bench can do this. Because they have significantly narrower third-row seats, the Ford Explorer and Kia Sorento cannot fit three people back there even in a pinch, so in hybrid form the former has a maximum capacity of seven people and the latter only six. (The Sorento PHEV will be able to seat seven.) This noted, if you want your adult passengers to have plenty of room, the practical capacity of each is four people. see full Toyota Highlander review |
None of our members have yet commented on the seat room and comfort of the 2022 Toyota Highlander.